Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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80 REY BEYER
same year the King decorated him with the
Order of Saint Michel, and appointed him
Surintendant de la Chapelle. According to
Fdtis and Brenet, Rey conducted the orchestra of
the Concert Spirituel between 1 782 and 1786, and
some of his compositions were performed there.
After the French Revolution, he was elected
a member of the Committee of Administration
for the Affairs of the Opera, and the decree
which established- the Conservatoire of Music
in 1795, named him one of the professors of
harmony. It was there that F. J. F^tis became
a pupil of Bey, and was instructed by him
according to the complicated principles of
Rameau. So staunch was his adherence to
bygone traditions that he became involved in
the turbulent discussions which were roused by
Catel's innovations. Finally his championship
of his friend Lesueur brought about his
dismissal from the Conservatoire in 1802.
Napoleon soothed his wounded feelings by
nominating him his Maitre de Chapelle two
years later. He held this appointment for five
years, but the death of his
daughter, who was
a talented pianist, plunged him into an abandonment
of grief, which caused his death, July 15,
1810. As a conductor, Rey was closely
associated with all the great composers of his
day and assisted in the productions of the
masterpieces of Piccini, Gluck, Paisiello, Grftry,
Lemoine, and M^hul. Sacchini, on his deathbed,
entrusted the completion of his opera
'
Armife et Evelina ' to his friend Rey. This
commission was conscientiously executed by him,
and the opera was produced April 29, 1788.
He is also said to have written all the ballet
music in the same composer's opera Oedipe i
'
Colone,' and in Salieri's 'Tarare.'
His original compositions comprise some MS.
motets with orchestra, several of which v;ere performed
in the Chapelle du Soi, and some solfege
studies which are included in the third part of
the ' Solfeges du Conservatoire de Paris.' His
two - act opera Diana and Endymion ' ' was
produced in Paris in 1791, and the opera in
one act, entitled 'ApoUon et Coronis,': was
performed at the Academic Royale de Musique,
in 1781. This last was written in conjunction
with 'his brother,
Rby, Louis Chaklbs Joseph, who was
born at Lauzerte, Oct. 26, 1738, and died May
12, 1811. Also a chorister at the Abbey of
St. Sernin, Toulouse, he became a violoncellist
in the theatre orchestra at Montpellier, and
came to Paris in 1755 to profit by Berteau's
teaching. Two years later he occupied the
post of violoncellist at the principal theatre in
Bordeaux, an appointment which he held for
nine years. At the end of the year 1766, he
became a member of the Paris opera orchestra,
and in 1772 was admitted into the orchestra
of the Chapelle du Roi. After forty years'
service Eey retired froip the orchestra with a
pension in 1806. F^tis says that he cut his
throat in delirium caused by a nervous fever.
He wrote some trios for two violins and violoncello
; some duos for violin and violoncello, etc.,
and a brochure entitled : Mimoire justicatif des
Artistes de VAcadimie Boyale de Musique, ou
response d la lettre qui leur a M adressie le
4 Sept. 1789. This last was a reply to Papillon
de Lafert^'s complaints of the behaviour of the
members of the opera orchestra.—Brenet, M..,Lcs
Concerts en France ; Saint Laurent, Didionnaire
Eneyelopidiqvs ; Nouvelle Biographic G&nerale,
Paris, 1843 ; Fetis, Biog. des Mus. Journal de
Paris, July 19, 1810. B. h-a.
REY, Jean Baptistb, (II), bom at Tarasoon
about 1760, is said to have taught himself the
harpsichord, violin, and violoncello ;
occupied
the post of Maitre de Musique at the cathedrals
of Verviers and Uzes, and went to Paris in
1785, establishing himself there asa professor of
music. A year later he was admitted into the
opera orchestra, and held an appointment as
violoncellist until his death, at Paris in 1822.
A potpourri (op. 1) of his for pianoforte was
published by Leduc, in Paris, and Nadermann
of Paris brought out his Cours iU'tnentaire de
Musique et de Piano. In 1807 the same firm
published his Exposition ilementaire de I'harinonie
; thiorie giiiirale des accords d'apris les
diffirents genres de Musique. Copies of this
last work are in the Bibliotheque at Brussels,
in the British Museum, London, and also in
Glasgow. The Quellen-Lexikon mentions twelve
sonatas for violoncello, op. 4.—J. B. Wekerlin,
Bibl. du Conservatoire Nat. de Paris ; Fetis,
Biog. des Mus. E. H-A.
REYER, Ernest, whose real name is Rey,
was born at Marseilles, Dec. 1, 1823. As a
ohUd he learned solfege at the free school of
music founded by Barsotti (born in Florence,
1786 ; died at Marseilles, 1868), and became a
good reader, though he did not carry his musical
education far. At sixteen he went to Algiera
as a, government official, but continued his
pianoforte practice, and began to compose without
having properly learned harmony and
counterpoint. He was soon able to write
romances which became popular, and composed
a mass which was solemnly performed before
the Due and Duohesse d'Aumale. The Revolution
of 1848 deprived him of the support of the
Governor-General, and he returned to Paris,
and placed himself in the hands of his aunt
Mme. Louise Farrenc, who completed his musical
education, and before long he found an opportunity
of coming before the public. From
his friend TWophile Gautier he procured the
libretto of Le ' Selam,' an oriental Symphony
'
in four parts,, on the model of David's
'
Le
P&ert. '
It was produced with success, April 5
1850," and then Mery furnished him with
' Maitre Wolfram,' a one-act opera, which was
also successful, at the Theatre Lyrique, May 20